Folding hanger.



m. 669,56l-. Patented Mar. |2,'.a90|..

I. L. TENNEY.

FOLDING HANGER.

(Application filed June 11, 1900.)

(No Model.)

33n @Hozmmg 5o ther understood that my invention covers as 1 1 ATENT OFFICE.'

IRVING L. TENNEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FOLDING HANGER.

SPECIFICATION forming; part of Letters Patent No. 669,561, dated March 12, 1901.

Application filed June 11, 1900.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, IRVING L. TENNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Folding Hangers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to improved means wherebyladiesskirtsorothergarments may be quickly and neatly folded for convenience in hanging or in otherwise packing in closets or trunks and whereby the required folds may be securely preserved.

By the use of myimprovement a long garment may be suspended within a relatively low storage-space-Without wrinkling or cru mpling the fabric.

My improved folding hanger furthermore insures uniform action, so that a given garment may always be folded in the same place. A further advantage attained is the storing or packing of a given long garment in a minimum space vertically and horizontally, while permitting quick and ready access thereto without disturbing other garments stored or packed therewith.

A preferred form of my invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawings, wherem- Figure 1 shows a dress-skirt hung upon one of my improved hangersin use on the side bars of a ward robe-trunk, such as that patented to S. W. Bonsall May 17, 1898, No. 604,346; and Fig. 2 is a view of my improved hanger as adapted to be hung or packed in the same location in side view.

My improved folding hanger consists, es-

sentially, of what may be termed a foldbar 1, intended to lie Within the fold of the garment 2, upon which fold-bar an attachment-bar 3 is secured by means of arms 4. In the form shown these arms consist of wires whose ends are looped, as at 5, around the fold-bar 1, being countersunk, as shown, to prevent said loops from sliding off of the bar. It is obvious that a variety of pivotal attachments for the arms 4 equivalent to said loops may be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention, and it is to be fur- Serial. No. 19,865. (No model.)

well a rigid as a pivotal connection between the fold-bar and the arms 4. The attachment-bar 3 is provided with attaching means adapted to the kind of garment intended to be folded and stored. Where adress-skirt 2 is to be hung, I have found it convenient to employ hooks 6, placed at proper intervals for accommodation of the usual tapes at the skirt-belt.

The parts so far named are sufficient for accomplishing the principal objects of my invention, and the device so construct-ed is used as follows: The top of the garment 2 is secured to the attachment-bar 3as, for instance, by the hooks 6. The fold-bar 1 being then held in a fixed position.in space in one hand, the attachment-bar is swung around, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. This first raises the garment above the fold-bar, bringingthelatteragainstthegarment. Then as the rotation continues and the attachmentbar is depressed to complete the circle the garment bends forming a fold enveloping the bar 1, and shortening the vertical suspension by an amount equal to the length of the arms 4.

It is obvious that hangers having various lengths of arms may be used according to the length of garment to be folded. Thus folded the garment may be hung or laid in a closet, trunk, or bureau-drawer, as desired.

Where my improved hanger is to be used for hanging in a closet, the outer tips of the fold-bar can be utilized as points of suspension, either with or without attached hooks.

In the preferred form shown hooks 7 are fixed to the bar 1, which hooks are adapted to slide upon the rods 8 in a manner fully explained regarding other forms of hanger in the aforesaid patent to S. W. Bonsall. Thus employed the folding of the garment may be accomplished either before or after the hanger is in place in the trunk.

Where hooks 6 are used on the bar 3, as shown, these hooks are available for hanging dress-waists or other short garments after the skirt is in place.

A variety of modifications may be made in my device without departing from the scope of my invention as hereinafter claimed, and

joining said bars, the whole being so arranged that said bars can be revolved one about the other without obstruction.

3. An articleof manufacture consisting of an attachment-bar, means thereon for attachinga garmentthereto, a fold-bar longer than said attachment-bar, arms joining said two bars, and hanging means on said fold-bar outside of the junction with said bar of said arms.

IRVING L. TENNEY.

Witnesses: v

FRANK TILTMAN, S. W. BONSALL. 

